Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. PERRBN. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 406,344. l Patented July 2, 1889.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. FBRREN.

l GAR GOUPLING. n No. 406,344. Patented July 2, 1889.

46M dm vlilivrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBENEZER FERREN, OF MANCI-IES'IER,NEf HAMPSHIRE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,344, dated July 2, 1889.

Application tiled October 22, 1888. Serial No.288,808. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EBENEZER FERREN, ot Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Carlouplings, of which the following` is a speci- Iication.

This invention has for its objectto provide simple and effective means for coupling and uncoupling cars without exposing train-nien to the danger of going between the cars; and to this end it consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a side elevation of one member of a carcoupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the saine. Fig. 3 represents a section on line rr, Fig. l. Fig. 4 represents a section on line g/ y, Fig. 2. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 represent details. Fig. S represents a side elevation of a draw-bar, showing certain modifications. Fig. 9 represen ts a longitudinal vertical section of the drawbar shown in Fig. 8. Fig. l0 represents a plan view of the link shown in Fig. Q. Fig. ll represents a perspective View of the coupling-pin.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, c represents a draw-bar having the chamber or throat ZJ, which receives the coupling-link c, the mouth or outer end of said chamber being enlarged and provided with flaring sides, as shown in Figs. 2 and 9, to guide the end of the entering' link to its place in the chamber.

d represents the coupling-pin, which is [itted to slide in a vertical socket c, Fig. 4, formed in the lower portion of the draw-bar and extendinginto the chamber b. The coupling-pin and its socket are made of such form in cross-section that the pin cannot turn in the socket, and the pin is provided near its upper end with two side shoulders ff, which are formed to support the link, the upper end of the pin between said shoulders being formed to enter the link. The shoulders enable the pin to support the link horizontally, as shown in Figs. 2 and S, by pressing the link against the upper surface of the'chamber I). Said shoulders also enable the pin to support the link in an inclined position when the pin is lowered slightly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The pin is normallyheld With a yielding pressure in the position shown in full lines by a rod g, which extends horizontally under the draw-bar and lengthwise thereof, and springs h 7L, which are arranged to support said rod. The forward end of the rod g is inserted in an orifice c', Fig. 1l, in the lower portion of the pin (l, and its rear end is supported bya rest or fulcrum j, which enables the forward end to rise and fall. Said rest or fulcruin may be a lug bolted to the rear end of the draw-bar, as shown in Fig. 1, or attached to thereduced end or spindle a on the draw-bar, as shown in Fig. 5, or it may be a bolt inserted in the strap 7c, which forms a part ot' the draw-head, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, the rod g being bent upwardly at its rear end, and there provided with a slot, through which the bolt passes.

The springs h 71, which support the rod g, are arranged on vertical rods or bolts m m, which are affixed to the draw-bar and project downwardly therefrom, said bolts having nuts n n, on which t-he springs h h rest. The bolts m may have square heads at their upper ends resting on countersunk seats on the upper surface of the draw-bar, the latter being provided with vertical sockets which receive the bolts, this being a good way of securing the bolts when they can be applied to the drawbarbefore it is attach ed to the car. I prefer, however, to provide each bolt with two ears or studs m m', proj ecting from its upper end, the socket for said bolt having corresponding grooves o o, Fig. 7, so that the bolt with its ears may be passed upwardly through the grooved socket (the ears passing through the grooves) until the ears project above the seats or grooves formed to receive them. The drawbar should in this case have seats or grooves formed to receive the ears m when the bolt is turned partly around t0 bring the ears out of line with the grooves in the socket. This construction enables the bolts to be inserted in the draw-bar while the latter is in place on the bottom of the car. The rear bolt is preferably made shorter than the forward one, so as not to extend through the draw-bar.

p represents a lever, which extends cross- IOO wise of the ear under the draw-bar and rests at its center on the rod g.

fr o' are vertical plates ailixed to the longitudinal beams s .5', which form parts of the usual frame-work of the car. Said plates have vertical slots t t, through which the lever p passes, and in which the lever is capable of moving up and down. It will be seen that the upper end of the slot t in each plate constitutes afulcrum on which the lever p bears when one of its ends is depressed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, so that the depression of either end of the lever causes the depression of its central part and of the rod g, on which said central part bears, the de pression of the rod withdrawing the couplingpin from the chamber Z) and releasing the link therein. The link can therefore be withdrawn by depressing either end of the lever, so that the uncoupling operation can be per` formed by a person standing at either side of the car, or by one on the roof of the car, through the instrumentality of a rod n, Fig. 3, connected to the lever and extending upwardly to the top of the car.

The slots in the plates r o' are enlarged at their lower portions to form a shoulder u in each plate. Said shoulders are formed to engage the depressed end of the lever p and hold it depressed, and thereby hold the coupling-pin out of the chamber I); Provision is thus made for the coming together of two draw-bars without coupling.

The coupling-pin has an inclined face 2, which enables a lilik entering the draw-head to depress the pin by pressure against the inclined face, the yielding support of the pin permitting such depression. After the entering' end of the link has passed over the pin the latter is forced up by the springs 71, and its shoulders f bear against and support the link, as above described.

In Figs. S and 9 I have shown two couplingpins supported by the rod g and springs h 7L, the coupling-link having two orifices w lw at each end to receive said-pins. (See Fig. 10.) This arrangement is intended particularly for passenger-cars (although it may be used for freight-cars) and provided against un coupling in case of breakage of one pin.

It will be seen that my improvements enable cars to be coupled and uneoupled without the exposure of train-men to danger between cars, the coupling operation being antomatic when both draw-bars are at the same height, while in ease one draw-bar is higher than the other the attendant can properly adjust the link by manipulating' the lever p while standing at one side or at the top of the Cal'.

The lever p may extend to one side of the car only, instead of to both, but it would obviously be less convenient.

A hole h is provided in the upper portion of the draw-bar to receive an ordinary coupling-pin entering the chamber b from above, so that if the pin d should break or become inoperative an ordinary pin can be substituted for it.

I claiml. A draw-head having a springsupported coupling-pin adapted to move vertically into the link-receiving chamber from below, and provided with shoulders ff, whereby it adapted to support the link, as set forth.

2. The combination of a draw-bar, a coupling-pin adapted to move vertically into the link-receiving chamber thereof from below, the rod g, engaged at its forward end with said pin and fulcrumed at its rear end, an operatin g-lever extending across said rod and adapted to depress the same, and one or more independent springs supported by the draw-bar, and arranged to support said rod and pin and to hold the rod in contact with the operatinglever, as set forth.

3. The combination of a draw-bar, a coupling-pin adapted to move vertically into the draw-bar from below, a spring-supported rod g, supporting said pin, a transverse lever 1i, extending across said rod to both sides of the ear, and two fulcrums for said lever at opposite sides of the draw-bar, as set forth.

4. The combination of a draw-bar, a coupling-pin adapted to move vertically into the draw-bar from below, a spring-supported rod g,

Vsupporting said pin, a transverse lever p, ex-

tending across said rod to both sides of the car, two fulcrums for said rod, and stops or shoulders u u below said fulcrums, whereby the lever may be locked 0r held with either end depressed, as set forth.

5. The combination of the draw-bar, the coupling-pin, the rod g, supporting said pin and fulerum ed at its rear end, the bolts m, engaged with the draw-bar and projecting downwardly therefrom, the springs 71 snpported by said bolts and supporting the rod g, and the operating-lever p, whereby said rod with the coupling-pin may be depressed, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in. the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this '10th day of Octoler, A. D. lSSS.

EBENEZER FERREN.

lVitnesses:

C. lf. BROWN, HENRY E. BURNHAM.

IOO

IOS

IIO 

